


In Case I Forget

by SgothStri



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hospitals, Liverpepper's Kingdom Hearts Fanverse, M/M, Sick Fic, Sort Of, family au, geostrigma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SgothStri/pseuds/SgothStri
Summary: Leon always feared that one day he’d get the call, had nightmares about it even, but nothing compared to the real thing. He’s out in the front yard when it happens, watering the small row of flowers, when Roxas sticks his head out the front door with the house phone in hand.
Relationships: Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 98





	In Case I Forget

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is vaguely set in the liverpepper universe! Was just a vent fic but it turned out pretty good. It is just a little one shot but I hope you enjoy.  
> The concept of geostigma that I'm running with is that it causes memory loss during flareups.

“Pa, what’s this?” Sora holds up a red book, the thing heavy in his arms. Cloud looks up from the laundry he’s folding, jeans half folded in his grip.

“It’s a scrapbook.” He say. 

“Yeah I can see that…” Sora says, flipping it open and scanning the first few pages. “Wait is that you? And there’s Zack! Pa I didn’t know you scrap-booked.” 

“It’s for in case your Pa gets more sick someday.” Leon comes out of the bathroom, hair falling wet around his shoulders as he towel-dries it. “In case he can’t remember things anymore.” In case he can’t remember us goes unsaid, but Sora is old enough to understand. 

“Can I look at it?” He asks, realizing it might be private. Cloud just nods, and Leon scoops him up, plopping Sora and the scrapbook beside him on the bed opposite Cloud. Pulling his son close with one arm, Leon flips to the book open. The first page is plain white with a black and white photo of Cloud on it. The photo is a portrait of Cloud, he’s looking off to the side, and he looks much younger. Scrawled under the photo in Cloud’s neat cursive are the words ‘Just In Case I Can’t Remember Someday’. The next page seems to be where the scrapbook actually begins, because these pages are fuller. There is a photo of Cloud lounged back on a bed and he’s playfully grinning at the camera. 

“Your Pa was 19 here. We’d just met. I took this photo actually. All those.” The other photos seem to have been taken around the same time. One holds Cloud again, this time standing in a doorway, yelling into the hallway. The third photo is of him and a girl who Sora realizes is Tifa. 

“They look so young!” He gasps, gazing at the photos in wonder. 

“Yeah.” Squall chuckles. “We had a hard time finding any photos from this far back.” 

Eagerly Sora flips to the next page. 

— —

Leon always feared that one day he’d get the call, had nightmares about it even, but nothing compared to the real thing. He’s out in the front yard when it happens, watering the small row of flowers, when Roxas sticks his head out the front door with the house phone in hand. 

“It’s Pops. He said it’s important.” That was unusual enough for Leon to switch off the hose and go in; Cid never called. Taking the receiver, he mouths a ‘thank you’ to Roxas, who nods and disappears back upstairs. 

“Cid?” 

“Oh thank fuck you picked up.” Cid growls into the receiver. “It’s Cloud- shit you gotta get over here.”

Leon feels his blood run cold, all manor of horrible things running through his head. Had Cloud finally had the motorcycle accident Leon always predicted? Had he been working on a car in Cid’s shop and got crushed underneath? “What happened?” 

“I- we don’t know. He was lookin’ a little pale but seemed normal and then just passed out. Ambulance is on it’s way.”

“I’ll be there in 10.” 

“Tifa is here. She’s gonna ride with him.” Without another word Leon hangs up, already running for his keys. 

——

It takes all of Leon’s self control not to dash through the hospital and demand to see Cloud. The walk up to the room he is directed to by a tired looking nurse seems to take hours.

Carefully pushing the door open, Leon sucks in a breath. Cloud is sitting up in bed, looking out the window, gaze shifting to Leon when he enters. A look of confusion crosses Cloud’s face, and even though Squall has mentally prepared himself for it, it still hurts to see. There was recognition there, sure, but not to the magnitude that there should be.

“Leon?” And oh this is going to be so hard. Leon’s name sounds foreign coming from Cloud, he hasn’t called him that since they first met back before Cloud joined the army. 

“Hey.” He curses internally at how rough his voice sounds, but Cloud’s unwavering gaze does not shift. “How are you feeling?”

Cloud doesn’t respond, searching Leon’s face for something. “Why are you here?” The words don’t come across as cold, just confused, but it still leaves a bitter taste in Leon’s mouth. Carefully, Leon sets his bag down and takes the plastic chair next to the bed. 

“Do you know who I am?” Leon asks, the question coming out softer than he intends. Cloud’s confusion melts away behind his neutral mask, one that Leon has learned to see through over the years. 

“Leon. You’re Squall Leonhart.” Cloud says, shifting in bed so he can face Leon more fully. “We’re high school friends. I-“ Cloud cuts himself off, his brow furrowing in displeasure. “I’m forgetting something, aren’t I.” When Leon nods, Cloud pales slightly. “Tell me?”

Without a word, Leon stands, pulling the scrapbook from his bag. Wordlessly Cloud scoots over, making room for Leon to sit next to him, leaving half a foot of space between them. Laying the book across Cloud’s lap, Leon opens it. 

Leon watches Cloud’s face as he flips through the first few pages, brows drawn together, waiting for a flicker of something, anything. Several pages and nothing, Cloud pausing to take in each photo. He stops at a photo from several years back, and Leon sees it's one of the two of them. They are dancing, holding one another and Cloud is laughing. Leon can see the way Cloud’s eyes trace the photo, finally settling on the words below it. July 4th, 1995 - Edge Summer Dance Pavilion, Cloud and Squall. 

This time when Cloud turns his gaze up to Leon, his eyes are full of an unreadable kind of pain. “Tell me.” Carefully Leon flips several pages, landing on 2010, just a year ago. There is just one photo, framed in white paper with a wedding invitation taped on the other page. The photo shows Cloud and Leon, standing next to a wedding cake, both dressed in suits. Cloud is looking at the camera while Leon is looking at him. Both are laughing. August 1st, 2010 - Cloud and Leon Strife. Wedding reception. 

Cloud looks up, bewilderment in his eyes, but before he can say whatever he is about to, the door to the room opens. 

“Pa?” Roxas asks, holding Sora’s hand as the two boys slip inside. Tifa sticks her head in briefly but steps back out, giving the family some space. Cloud stares, face unreadable. Leon wants to warn the children, keep them from feeling the hurt that he is, but finds his voice isn't working. They gather at the foot of the bed, and Cloud scans their faces, looking. Leon is about to say something, ask the boys to leave maybe, when Cloud reaches out for Sora. The 9 year old makes his way around to Cloud’s side of the bed, within arms reach. Cloud looks into his eyes, an unreadable expression on his face, and then something breaks, and Cloud is pulling Sora into his arms, a look of horror and shock maring his face.

“I could never forget you, Bitsy.” And then both boys are on him, sobbing. “Or you, Pop Rox.” Cloud soothes, but his voice shakes. All Squall can do is watch while his family melt into one another, and he doesn’t realize he is crying too until Cloud reaches out and brushes his tears away, cradling Squall’s face in his palm. “And you.” The choked cry that Leon lets escape is shocking to his own ears but he doesn’t care. Scooping both the children and Cloud into his arms Leon hugs them all fiercely, his face buried in Cloud’s hair. They stay like that for several long moments, the room silent side for the sounds of muffled crying. When they break apart, Cloud releases their children and draws Leon in, hands finding his face to bring him close.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again Rain Cloud.” And Squall is still crying but he can’t seem to make himself stop. Cloud nods and pulls him in the rest of the way, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips.

“I’m sorry Squall.”


End file.
